Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2017
Authors
Steffen Werne Felix Heckendorn Michael Roleda L Baumgartner Eduarda Molina-Alcaide A Drewek Vibeke LindAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Eduarda Molina-Alcaide Maria Dolores Carro Michael Roleda Martin Riis Weisbjerg Vibeke Lind Margarita Novoa-GarridoAbstract
Seaweeds have potentials as alternative feed for ruminants, but there is a limited knowledge on their nutritive value. Seven seaweed species collected along the coast above the Arctic circle of Norway, both in spring and autumn, were assessed for nutrients and total polyphenols (TEP) content, gas production kinetics and in vitro rumen fermentation in batch cultures of ruminal microorganisms. The seaweeds were three red species (Mastocarpus stellatus, Palmaria palmata and Porphyra sp.), three brown species (Alaria esculenta, Laminaria digitata and Pelvetia canaliculata) and one green species (Acrosiphonia sp.). Additionally, the abundance and diversity of total bacteria, protozoa and archaea in the cultures with the three red seaweeds collected in spring were analyzed by quantitative PCR and PCR-DGGE, respectively. The crude protein (CP) content varied widely. Pelvetia had the greatest (P < 0.001) ether extract (EE) content. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) content varied from 135 to 541 g/kg DM with brown seaweeds having the greatest values. Ash and CP contents were higher in spring than in autumn (P = 0.020 and 0.003, respectively), whereas concentrations of EE and NSC were not affected by collecting season (P = 0.208–0.341). The TEP values ranged from 1.46 to 50.3 mg/g dry matter (DM), and differed (P < 0.001) among seaweed species and collecting season, being greater in autumn than in spring. The DM effective degradability (DMED), estimated from gas production parameters for a rumen passage rate of 3.0% per h, ranged from 424 to 652 g/kg, the highest values were recorded for Mastocarpus stellatus and Porphyra sp. The lowest DMED values were registered for Pelvetia canaliculata and Acrosiphonia sp. In 24-h incubations (500 mg DM), Palmaria palmata had the highest (P < 0.05) volatile fatty acids (VFA) and methane production (4.34 and 0.761 mmol, respectively) and the lowest (P < 0.05) final pH values and acetate to propionate ratios (6.57 and 2.34, respectively). There were no differences (P > 0.05) among the other seaweeds in VFA production, but Porphyra sp. had the second highest methane production (P < 0.05; 0.491 mmol) compared with the other seaweeds (0.361 mmol; averaged value). The methane/total VFA ratio was not affected (P > 0.05) by either seaweed species or the collection season. Higher final pH (P < 0.05) and lower (P < 0.05) methane and VFA production, ammonia-N concentrations and DMED values were promoted by the fermentation of seaweed collected in autumn compared with those from spring. Among the red seaweeds, there were no species-specific differences (P > 0.05) in the abundance or the diversity of total bacteria, protozoa and archaea. In the PCR-DGGE analysis, samples were separated by the incubation run for all microbial populations analyzed, but not by seaweed species. The results indicate that seaweed species differ markedly in their in vitro rumen degradation, and that samples collected in autumn had lower rumen degradability than those collected in spring.
Authors
Laura Jaakola Laura Zoratti Nga Nguyenquynh Lara Giongo Katja Karppinen Anne Linn Hykkerud Eivind Uleberg Inger Martinussen Hely HäggmanAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Mohammad Ramin Marcia De Oliveira Franco Michael Roleda Inga Marie Aasen Mårten Hetta Håvard SteinshamnAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Marit Jørgensen Marcin Rapacz Liv Østrem Arild Larsen Rolf Rødven Odd Arne RognliAbstract
The effect of variable autumn temperatures in combination with decreasing irradiance and daylength on photosynthesis, growth cessation and freezing tolerance was investigated in northern- and southern-adapted populations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and timothy (Phleum pratense) intended for use in regions at northern high latitudes. Plants were subjected to three different acclimation temperatures; 12, 6 and 9/3°C (day/night) for 4 weeks, followed by 1 week of cold acclimation at 2°C under natural light conditions. This experimental setup was repeated at three different periods during autumn with decreasing sums of irradiance and daylengths. Photoacclimation, leaf elongation and freezing tolerance were studied. The results showed that plants cold acclimated during the period with lowest irradiance and shortest day had lowest freezing tolerance, lowest photosynthetic activity, longest leaves and least biomass production. Higher acclimation temperature (12°C) resulted in lower freezing tolerance, lower photosynthetic activity, faster leaf elongation rate and higher biomass compared with the other temperatures. Photochemical mechanisms were predominant in photoacclimation. The northern-adapted populations had a better freezing tolerance than the southern-adapted except when grown during the late autumn period and at the highest temperature; then there were no differences between the populations. Our results indicate that the projected climate change in the north may reduce freezing tolerance in grasses as acclimation will take place at higher temperatures and shorter daylengths with lower irradiance.
Abstract
Important factors for development of quality defects are the physical, physiological and chemical state of the tubers, which is also described as the maturity status of the crop. The use of maturity indicators as predictors of quality in potato tubers during and after storage was explored in cvs. Asterix and Saturna with three different maturity levels during three years (2010, 2012 and 2013). The maturity indicators measured 1–3 weeks before harvest and at harvest included haulm senescence (haulm maturity), skin set (physical maturity), dry matter content (physiological maturity) and contents of sucrose, glucose and fructose (chemical maturity). Potato quality parameters were measured three times during storage (December, February and April) and included dry matter content, sucrose, glucose and fructose contents, weight loss and fry colour. Cultivar and maturity level were included as categorical predictors in a linear regression model and contributed significantly (P < 0.001) to the models predicting reducing sugars during storage. Dry matter, sucrose, glucose and fructose were included as continuous predictors in the linear regression models and contributed significantly (P < 0.01) to the sucrose, glucose and fructose models and these models explained a high proportion of the variation (R2 ≥ 0.88). Skin set contributed significantly to the weight loss models (P < 0.01) but the models showed low R2 -values (R2 < 0.48). Sucrose contents contributed significantly (P = 0.05) to the fry colour model for Asterix and the fry colour models for both Asterix and Saturna had R2 -values of 0.50 and 0.51 respectively. This study provides new information about the influence of maturity on potato quality during storage and the potential of using field measurements of maturity as predictors of storage potential for processing potato cultivars Asterix and Saturna in Norway.
Authors
Stef Bokhorst Laura Jaakola Katja Karppinen Guro Kristine Edvinsen Hanne Mæhre Jarle W. BjerkeAbstract
Main conclusion Evergreen plants are more vulnerable than grasses and birch to snow and temperature variability in the sub-Arctic. Most Arctic climate impact studies focus on single factors, such as summer warming, while ecosystems are exposed to changes in all seasons. Through a combination of field and laboratory manipulations, we compared physiological and growth responses of dominant sub-Arctic plant types to midwinter warming events (6 °C for 7 days) in combination with freezing, simulated snow thaw and nitrogen additions. We aimed to identify if different plant types showed consistent physiological, cellular, growth and mortality responses to these abiotic stressors. Evergreen dwarf shrubs and tree seedlings showed higher mortality (40–100%) following extreme winter warming events than Betula pubescens tree seedlings and grasses (0–27%). All species had growth reductions following exposure to − 20 °C, but not all species suffered from − 10 °C irrespective of other treatments. Winter warming followed by − 20 °C resulted in the greatest mortality and was strongest among evergreen plants. Snow removal reduced the biomass for most species and this was exacerbated by subsequent freezing. Nitrogen increased the growth of B. pubescens and grasses, but not the evergreens, and interaction effects with the warming, freezing and snow treatments were minor and few. Physiological activity during the winter warming and freezing treatments was inconsistent with growth and mortality rates across the plants types. However, changes in the membrane fatty acids were associated with reduced mortality of grasses. Sub-Arctic plant communities may become dominated by grasses and deciduous plants if winter snowpack diminishes and plants are exposed to greater temperature variability in the near future. C-repeat binding factor · Fatty acids · Frost · Grass · Multiple stresses · Shrub · Snow
Authors
Mette Thomsen Hugh Riley Grethe Iren Andersen Borge Per Lea Marit Rødbotten Gunnar BengtssonAbstract
Swede is known as a healthy vegetable with a high content of vitamin C. However, very few studies have worked with the aim to evaluate how varieties, soil type and fertilizer interact and affect quality in swede. In the present study two varieties of swedes (‘Vige’ and ‘Vigod’) were grown on peat, loam and sand, with three levels of K (0, 120, 240 kg ha-1) and N fertilizer (0, 80, 160 kg ha-1). Low to moderate levels of N gave highest saleable yield, highest content of vitamin C and lowest content of nitrate. Peat soil gave highest saleable yield, lowest soluble solids and vitamin C and highest nitrate content. Soluble solids and vitamin C were negatively correlated with total root yield. Sandy soil gave lowest saleable yield, sweetest taste and lowest nitrate content. Contents of total, aliphatic, indole and individual glucosinolates, on dry matter basis, were highest on peat. N fertilization increased the content of most glucosinolates, whereas K affected glucobrassicin at the highest N level. Progoitrin was lowest in roots grown on sand, and was affected by N level and variety on sand and loam soils. Consumers preferred ‘Vigod’, which had the highest intensity of sweetness, although ‘Vige’ had more vitamin C and less nitrate.
Abstract
Farmers are exposed to climate change and uncertainty about how that change will develop. As farm incomes, in Norway and elsewhere, greatly depend on government subsidies, the risk of a policy change constitutes an additional uncertainty source. Hence, climate and policy uncertainty could substantially impact agricultural production and farm income. However, these sources of uncertainty have, so far, rarely been combined in food production analyses. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a combination of policy and climate uncertainty on agricultural production, land use, and social welfare in Norway. Output yield distributions of spring wheat and timothy, a major forage grass, from simulations with the weatherdriven crop models, CSM-CERES-Wheat and, LINGRA, were processed in the a stochastic version Jordmod, a price-endogenous spatial economic sector model of the Norwegian agriculture. To account for potential effects of climate uncertainty within a given future greenhouse gas emission scenario on farm profitability, effects on conditions that represented the projected climate for 2050 under the emission scenario A1B from the 4th assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and four Global Climate Models (GCM) was investigated. The uncertainty about the level of payment rates at the time farmers make their management decisions was handled by varying the distribution of payment rates applied in the Jordmod model. These changes were based on the change in the overall level of agricultural support in the past. Three uncertainty scenarios were developed and tested: one with climate change uncertainty, another with payment rate uncertainty, and a third where both types of uncertainty were combined. The three scenarios were compared with results from a deterministic scenario where crop yields and payment rates were constant. Climate change resulted in on average 9% lower cereal production, unchanged grass production and more volatile crop yield as well as 4% higher farm incomes on average compared to the deterministic scenario. The scenario with a combination of climate change and policy uncertainty increased the mean farm income more than a scenario with only one source of uncertainty. On the other hand, land use and farm labour were negatively affected under these conditions compared to the deterministic case. Highlighting the potential influence of climate change and policy uncertainty on the performance of the farm sector our results underline the potential error in neglecting either of these two uncertainties in studies of agricultural production, land use and welfare.
Authors
Tor J. Johansen Jørgen A.B. Mølmann Gunnar Bengtsson Monica Schreiner Pablo Velasco Anne Linn Hykkerud Elena Cartea Per Lea Josefine Skaret Randi SeljåsenAbstract
BACKGROUND Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is a popular vegetable grown at a wide range of latitudes. Plants were grown in 2009–2011 in pots with standardized soil, irrigation and nutrient supply under natural temperature and light conditions at four locations (42–70° N). A descriptive sensory analysis of broccoli florets was performed by a trained panel to examine any differences along the latitudinal gradient for 30 attributes within appearance, odour, taste/flavour and texture. RESULTS Average results over three summer seasons in Germany, southern Norway and northern Norway showed that the northernmost location with low temperatures and long days had highest scores for bud coarseness and uniform colour, while broccoli from the German location, with high temperatures and shorter days, had highest intensity of colour hue, whiteness, bitter taste, cabbage flavour, stale flavour and watery flavour. Results from two autumn seasons at the fourth location (42° N, Spain), with low temperatures and short days, tended toward results from the two northernmost locations, with an exception for most texture attributes. CONCLUSION Results clearly demonstrate that temperature and light conditions related to latitude and season affect the sensory quality of broccoli florets. Results may be used in marketing special quality regional or seasonal products. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry